WALT’S OPINION ON MUSIC
THE NATIONAL
If you are acquainted with my blog, you should know by now that I’m old enough to shave – even though I don’t. I mention this because you may find the type of music I appreciate strange. In fact, there is a group that I love, Rilo Kiley, of whom I will write an article in the future. Some time ago they were playing at a venue which my wife and daughters felt I should not attend. Something about the audience lifting me up and passing me around.
But now let’s get to the subject of this piece.
This first entry to this portion of my blog, Walt’s Opinions, concerns a CD my daughter, Lynn, gave me more than a year ago. I forget the occasion, it was holiday or birthday. The CD was, High Violet, by The National. At first I listened to it as background music, but there was something about the voices that caught my attention. Finally, when time allowed, I sat down undisturbed and gave it a close listen. I have come to appreciate that your undivided attention is the only way to really enjoy this music.
The voices on the CD are deep, haunting and resonate with feeling. They are not polished but genuine and necessary for the eerie compositions they present.
The lyrics of the songs are poetic. Unfortunately, they are not included but the voices are distinctive enough for understanding. I hope in future work they include the lyrics. The words speak of an individual not content or fitting into the world around him. He exists on the edge and exists by his own rules.
Then there is the music. The instrumentation I awesome and thoroughly complements the lyrics to make a complete package.
I hope you give this CD a listen. After that, I would enjoy hearing your comments. If you do give it a listen, you’re in for one hell of a ride.
March 3, 2012 at 9:34 pm
WALT’S OPINIONS
INTRODUCTION
I know that this blog, up until now, has dealt with my writing and helping others writers in publishing their works and readers with finding sites where free books are available. But looking at the world around me, I often exist on the verge of explosion. For what it’s worth, this series will be my take on the world around me. I will also explore, to some extent, society’s use of words and the hidden poetry around us.
To give some prospectus to my comments, let me tell you something of my history. During my youth credit cards did not exist. People bought what they could afford or lived without. These days, that concept would destroy our economy.
When I went to college to study biochemistry, I carried a slide rule. How many today even know what a slide rule looks like. It’s a mathematical antique.
While in the air force I knew someone who bought one of the first calculators. It could add, subtract, multiply and divide. That was it. No memory, no other functions and it cost over one hundred dollars. I now have a solar powered calculator that can do a lot more and I got it for free for renewing a magazine subscription.
I wrote this introduction to give you some ideas where I am coming from, but you may be surprised about some of my attitudes towards music. We’ll start to deal with that in the next piece. And don’t get me wrong. I am not against progress and innovation. I feel we should embrace the future, but keep an appreciative eye on the past. But I also feel we should not embrace every current trend or word use only in order to keep up with social acceptance; not without some thought and analysis.
This is what I hope to accomplish, to get you thinking and introduce music and a little literature. I hope you join me along this road of thoughts and await your comments. Good or bad, it doesn’t matter.
One final note, my opinions may not agree with the current standards or the most accepted, but they are mine. Today in the time of political correctness, we must walk carefully as not to step on anyone’s toes. To some extent I feel that is robs us of being an individual. I feel we should respect all around us, but at the same time have an opinion and speak up when someone else’s opinion rubs us the wrong way. All too often I have witnessed how one lone voice can change the lives of the silent. Examples will follow.
Once again, whether you agree or disagree with me, speak your voice. I want to hear you.
February 23, 2012 at 6:46 pm
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